Final showdown turns into a tragic clash

The long-awaited epic final clash was ruined by heavy rains that resulted in paddy field-like playing conditions that prevented either team from playing their usual brand of rugby, making it one of the most unentertaining contests of the season. In these dangerous playing conditions, neither team could be considered a worthy winner; therefore, it would have been very appropriate to abandon the match and award the league title to the league leaders.

Isipathana hosts Peter's – August 17:

The weather gods seemed to be quite merciless on Friday as they decided to bring down the skies and pour down incessantly, so much so that many may have even considered sailing to the venues on Saturday. However, the day cleared up and the afternoon drier as Havelock Park looked like a decent pitch to play on despite a few isolated patches of mud. It may be that the weather gods were reviving memories of all the naughty behaviour that has been exhibited during this season, which only seems to have gotten worse as time went on, as the rain started again at the same time as kick-off.

Within minutes of kick-off, the park was muddy and soggy, making it an ideal venue for professional figure skating, but completely unsuitable for a risky sport like rugby. Students from both sides tried their hardest to play as much positive and attacking rugby as possible, but it was quite difficult to achieve this. Therefore, there is not much point in analyzing this encounter from a tactical point of view, as the pitch did not even allow the players to effectively perform their basic skills while their heels were stuck in the mud and their running resembled a sprint on the surface of the moon. Therefore, the typical tactical and strategic moves had no place in this contest, although it is safe to assume that both sides had planned some of them.

However, we have to commend both teams for performing brilliantly in some aspects of the game, considering the extreme and dangerous playing conditions. Although the sticky and slippery surface helped them, both teams ensured that their prestige lines were never breached, although there were a few close calls on both sides. Unforced handling errors were 6 per team, and that's not too bad considering the sticky ball.

Staying on your feet and fighting for possession during tackles is quite impractical in muddy conditions and we have seen numerous penalties on wet match days all season. In fact, it is neither the fault of the coaching staff nor the players to award such penalties in slippery conditions as it is simply impossible to avoid fouls such as 'holding the ball' when you slip and fall over it and 'standing on your feet' when the 'jackler' loses balance and leans on the ground or a player on the ground. However, St Peter's College broke its own record and recorded the lowest number of infringements this season, with a measly 6 penalties while the opponents weighed in at 12. The additional 6 penalties conceded by the hosts prevented the game from being played within the opposition's field of play but in their own front yard, giving the visitors enough scoring opportunities that may have determined the final result. In summary, the team that followed the rules better won!

While many of the self-proclaimed elite schools lack the courtesy or sportsmanship to turn up for the trophy presentation after a loss, or turn up but look like they have been kidnapped for ransom and stand there completely emotionless, the Isipathana team looked quite cheerful and applauded the title winners during the award ceremony. Some critics may constantly moan about the behaviour of spectators at certain schools, but unless the attitude of the players and students present is shaped accordingly, the spectator behaviour of these so-called elite schools will very soon be fit for walking through the gutter.

One Peterite player sustained serious injuries to his shins and had to be carried off on stretchers, apparently requiring surgery. Fortunately, no life-threatening incidents or injuries occurred on that ungodly day. As the rules of World Rugby revolve primarily around player safety and injury prevention, it is not honourable to force schoolboys to play a game of this nature in the dangerous conditions mentioned above, where no player has full control of his body movements once in motion. This could result in serious injury to another player or to himself if an attempted action was not the one ultimately carried out. Furthermore, there is a big difference between a wet ground and a muddy ground which is partially or sporadically submerged, and this point is aimed at the latter. Regardless of how these tournaments were conducted in past centuries, the current organizers, who are part of today's society, should reconsider the conduct of encounters of this nature, especially matches such as a final or close to it, in conditions that can potentially harm the players. The organizers should plan for a reserve day or two in case it rains for a few more days, as it has been stressed many times that the well-being and safety of the students should be our highest priority.

Result: Peter defeats Pathana 6:3

The Royals welcome Trinity – August 17th:

The ground conditions at Sugathadasa Stadium were far better as the constant rain did not submerge the pitch, similar to last year's Knockouts final. However, there were soft and damp patches on the pitch which had little effect on the ground conditions. It seemed as though both schools wanted to get this encounter over with as quickly and painlessly as possible, but more importantly, with minimal impact on their all-important Bradby Shield match scheduled for next weekend. Therefore, both sides decided to go with covert tactics, resting players from their regular teams to let in some newcomers who were knocking on the door.

Although Royal were not particularly keen to compete, Trinity continued their abysmal form at lineouts by botching three themselves. However, when they were able to successfully hook and secure the ball, they used their mauls quite effectively, prompting Royal to reveal primitive maul defensive skills by collapsing it three times, thus further driving the visitors' attacks. On the contrary, Royal showed better control over the wet ball compared to their opponents, both in handling and kicking. It could be observed that Trinity's coaching camp had made some efforts to halve the number of their infringements since their last match against SPC, where they lost due to this crucial deficiency. This correction, if scrupulously maintained, would undoubtedly strengthen Trinity's game in the next few weeks and bring about the redemption they have been yearning for all these years.

The Tuskers were twice caught and penalized for a 'tackle without an arm', which also included a sending off, which is considered reckless rugby that can cause unjustified injury to opponents. Hopefully their coaching team will take up this matter and rectify it before the next matches? Royal's 8 infringements committed in the second half to Trinity's 3 left them vulnerable and allowed Trinity to attack continuously while the hosts remained unproductive and scoreless.

Result: Royal defeats Trinity 22-19

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